Robert Marion Naylor, 37, had been charged with second-degree murder but was convicted of the lesser charge of manslaughter by a jury. The sentence for that charge, issued by Oakland Circuit Judge Martha Anderson, is 25 to 75 years in prison.

Manslaughter is generally punishable by up to 15 years in prison, but Naylor’s sentence was enhanced because of his prior record, which includes convictions for carrying a concealed weapon, felonious assault and possession of a controlled substance.

Jurors also convicted Naylor of possession of a firearm in commission of a felony, third offense, which carries a mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison. He will receive 333 days of jail credit on that sentence, which runs consecutive to the manslaughter sentence.

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“I can’t take back what happened,” Naylor said before the sentence was imposed.

“There was no determining that I wanted to hurt someone that night, but I felt like my family was in need of help. I know I’m wrong for having a firearm, but … (if I didn’t have a firearm), me and my kid could have been hurt.”

“I’m not taking back that he has family and they hurt, but same as that, my family is hurting now too,” Naylor said.

“There’s two lives (that were taken) away that night. I know it hurts when a person loses a relative. Many of us have lost relatives, sons, daughters and everything else. I would ask you to look over all the things that happened in trial and to understand I didn’t go there to look for anybody to get hurt. I apologize and I understand now the point of it.”

Anderson said she didn’t think Naylor went to the gathering looking for anyone to get hurt, but he should have been more cautious.

“He did have a gun he was not legally able to carry, he did pull that gun and although his reasoning was he got Maced or pepper sprayed, he couldn’t see, he pulls a gun and he starts shooting,” Anderson said.

“What did he think was going to happen? It’d be one thing if he just pulled the gun to show it to make people get back, but he didn’t just pull the gun and show it. He fired it. He fired it without knowing what direction that bullet was going to go, where it would land (or) what damage it could do. In the process, innocent people were injured and one person who had absolutely nothing to do with it, who was there with his children, was killed. So you’re right Mr. Naylor, the lives of two people have definitely been ruined. One a young father who will never see his children grow up and you, who will never see your (son) grow up. So it is tragic, and it was all avoidable.”

Naylor was also convicted of 12 other weapons and assault charges in the shooting, but those sentences will run concurrent to his other sentences. He must pay restitution, which will be determined at a later date, as well as court costs and fees, and cannot have any contact with the victims.

Donaldson’s family chose not to make a victim impact statement during the sentencing hearing.